AUSA chapters shine at regional breakfast

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Army Capabilities Integration Center director gives glimpse of future

Lt. Gen. Michael Vane, Army Capabilities Integration Center director speaks at an Association of the United States Army regional breakfast Oct. 27 at the Washington Convention Center. The director asks attendees to consider the challenges the Army faces as it fields the force of the future.

Lt. Gen. Michael Vane, Army Capabilities Integration Center director speaks at an Association of the United States Army regional breakfast Oct. 27 at the Washington Convention Center. The director asks attendees to consider the challenges the Army faces as it fields the force of the future.

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WASHINGTON -- The Association of the United States Army honored outstanding chapters during regional breakfasts Oct. 27 at the Washington Convention Center.

Second Region AUSA officials invited Lt. Gen. Michael Vane, Army Capabilities Integration Center director, to speak. The director asked attendees to consider the challenges the Army faces as it fields the force of the future.

Vane said the goal is to establish a different kind of learning concept inside Army schools and centers.

"To develop adaptive Soldiers, we need to create an adaptive environment," Vane said. "We've got to look at a different way of communicating to our young people who have grown up in a different kind of system, a different environment."

Vane said youth today are surrounded by media options with social networking and the Internet.

"They learned to learn in a different way than many of our old methods and procedures have been established to disseminate that learning," he said. "We want to move from the sage on the stage to a guy on the side."

The general said future Army training will be more engaging, less passive and the young student who come to class are more motivated to learn and are more interested in learning outside of class.

"We've got to focus more on integrated digital platforms with face-to-face learning in a blended learning environment," Vane said.

The Army will take advantage of the Internet and digital learning capabilities in the future, he said.

Vane said the trends are requiring the Army to focus on adaptability and leader development.

The AUSA audience was a mix of key leaders who are either active duty Soldiers, retired Soldiers or active supporters of Soldiers. Following the address, AUSA officials called up outstanding chapter representatives for streamer presentations.

The Aberdeen Chapter from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. rounded out the list of honorees. The organization won Best Chapter Overall for its size.

"It was a great honor," said Mary Jane Jernigan, chapter president. "It's onward and upward from here."